Panaji: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed the state government and others to file affidavits in a matter related to the entry of a new vessel in the Mandovi River, following a Public Interest Litigation filed by Enough Is Enough, represented by centenarian freedom fighter Libia Sardesai and others.
The PIL challenges permission granted to a casino company to anchor a new vessel in the Mandovi River, replacing an existing offshore casino. The petition also seeks that pending hearing and final disposal of the PIL, the court should restrain the respondents from mooring the new vessel in the Mandovi.
The petitioners are seeking appropriate orders from the court to set aside various permissions granted to Delta Pleasure Cruise Company to replace the vessel MV Royale Flotel, with a passenger capacity of 70, which no longer operates in the Mandovi, with the company’s new vessel Y-178, with a passenger capacity of 2,000 in the Mandovi. The new vessel is also known as MV Deltin Royale.
The petitioners argued that the move violates provisions of the Public Gambling Act, pointing out that the current vessel is licensed for a capacity of 70 persons, while the proposed replacement is designed to accommodate around 2,000 persons.
Raising concerns over the scale of operations, the petition questioned the legality of allowing such a significant increase in capacity under the existing regulatory framework.
The petition states that the gazette notification dated January 28, 2025, communication dated October 14, 2022, and office notes dated September 22, 2022, September 7, 2023, and August 8, 2024 are contrary to the statutory mandate of Sections 13A and 13B of the Goa Gambling Act, brought into effect from February 1, 2020, which states that no gaming activity can be conducted on board a vessel unless it is within a designated area in the territorial waters of Goa.
The petition states that the Mandovi is not in the territorial waters of Goa and therefore cannot be notified as a designated area. It added that the permissions granted are contrary to and ultra vires Section 13B and must be struck down.
The court is scheduled to take up the matter for further hearing on Monday, while affidavits are to be filed by Friday.
